Camming arrangement for operation of railway car doors



Oct. 7, 1969 H. A. AQUINO ETAL CAMMING ARRANGEMENT FOR OPERATION OF RAILWAY CAR DOORS Filed June 30, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 z/wsw rm HERMAN A A OU/NO JAMES J. SCHULLER Oct. 7,1969 H, u o AL 3,471,044

CAMMING ARRANGEMENT FOR OPERATION OF RAILWAY CAR DOORS Fild June so, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 5' wmSR swa MAUHN wamfm E .43.; m M J M L m v mm NM 0 N g J a H 06L 1969 H. A. AQUINO ETAL 3,471,044.

CAMMING ARRANGEMENT FOR OPERATION OF RAILWAY CAR DOORS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 30, 1967' AT. fi

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CAMMING ARRANGEMENT FOR OPERATION OF RAILWAY CAR DOORS Filed June 30, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

HERMAN AAOU/NO JAMES J. SCHULLER RAY L. FERRIS WILLIAMDMU I NGER QV ATT'Y United States Patent 3,471,044 CAMMING ARRANGEMENT FOR OPERATION OF RAILWAY CAR DOORS Herman A. Aquino, Hobart, Ind., and Ray L. Ferris,

Thornton, and William D. Mundinger, Lansing, 111., and James J. Schuller, Hammond, Ind., assignors to Pullman Incorporated, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 30, 1967, Ser. No. 650,330

Int. Cl. B65g 67/24 US. Cl. 214-63 I '8 Claims ABSTRACT: OF THE DISCLOSURE A camming assembly mounted on the track bed for actuatinga door operating arrangement on a railway car of the general type shown in US. Patent application Ser. No. 598,440, filed Dec. 1, 1966; The door operating mechanism comprises generally a crank assembly to which there is attached a linkage means connected to the doors for moving the same between a closed'and open position upon operation of the crank assembly. For operating the crank assembly there is provided a cam follower arm which is cngageable with a track bed' mounted camming arrangement including a door opening section and door closing section. The door opening section includes a first door opening sub-section for actuating the arm from the closed position to turn the latter and thereby to turn the crank. A second door opening subsection is spaced lengthwise from the first sub-section to actuate the crank further, if necessary, toward the door open'position and retain the doors open to discharge the cargo therethrough. The second section or door closing section includes a first door closing sub-section which engages the follower arm to turn the latter at least 90 in a reverse direction and a second door closing sub-section which is engageable with the follower arm to turn the camming arm to its original door closed position. At the end of the door closing sub-section there is provided a yielda'ble force applying member which exerts suflicient force to insurea positive closing of the door. Each of the door opening and closing sections includes a vertically disposed cam surface engageable with the camming arm and the sections are mounted for movement between a position clear of the follower arm and a raised position in engagement therewith. The sections also include a bufiing means for absorbing or minimizing the shock imposed thereon during the operation of the cam follower arm during opening and closing.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED' APPLICATIONS This application is an improvement on the camming mechanism shown in US. Patent application Ser. No. 598,440, Dec. 1, 1966, assigned to the assignee to the assignee of the present invention.

' BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to railway hopper cars having a mechanism for operating the cargo discharge doors and more particularly to a track bed mounted camming arrangement for operating the door operating mechanism.

Heretofore, such camming arrangements have not been generally adapted because of operating difficulties resulting primarily from the fact that camming surfaces have been horizontally disposed so that the follower structure associated with the door operating mechanism required a firm frictional contact therewith to actuate the door operating mechanism. Such firm frictional contact depends on the weight load carried by the hopper car 3,471,044 Patented Oct. 7, 1969 so that in the event that the car is only partially loaded, the friction may be inadequate to operate the discharge oors.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION By the present invention there is provided a camming arrangement which includes vertically disposed camming surfaces acting on a cam follower so that only the force of the car moving along the track is required to actuate the door operating mechanism.

Moreover, the camming arrangement is mounted on the track bed in a manner minimizing theshock impacts thereon and to door operating mechanism, and thereby preventing damage thereto.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic plan vie-w of the door camming arrangement mounted on the track bed and showing the cam follower associated with the door operating mechanism mounted on a railway car in the various positions of operation as the railway car traverses the track;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the door opening section of Gthe door and camming arrangement illustrated in F1 .1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the closing section of the camming arrangement illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken generally along the lines 44 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken generally along the lines 55 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view taken generally along the lines 6-6 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a railway car incorporating the door operating mechanism with which the camming arrangement of the present invention may be used.

Referring now in particular to FIGS. 1 and 7, there is shown a track mounted camming arrangement 10 which is adapted to coact with the door operating mechanism 11 mounted on a railway car as shown in FIG. 7. The door operating mechanism comprises generally a crank assembly 13 having a pair of oppositely disposed crank arms 14 and 16 to which is attached one of door linkages 17 and 18, respectively. The linkages 17 and 18 are connected at the other ends to side opening doors '19 hingedly connected to the side of the car 12. For a more complete description of the door operating mechanism tive ends which are spaced equally from the lower end 22. The mechanism is shown in FIG. 7 in fully door closed position in which position the crank arms 14 and 16 are slightly offset with respect to the linkages 17 and 18 which are connected to the laterally swingable doors. In the offset position, as shown, the crank arm 14 abuts against a stop 27 fixed to the underside of the railway car. Upon rotation in the direction of the arrows, as shown, the crank mechanism 13 is operative to turn the linkages from the overcenter position away from the stop 27 so that the weight of the doors and the lading supported thereon further turns the crank mechanism approximately For automatically actuating the crank assembly 13 there is provided a track-bed mounted camming arrangement 10, which serves to open and close the doors 19 as the railway car 12 travels along the tracks T. The

camming arrangement is conveniently located over a pit or the like wherein the cargo is discharged and includes a door opening section 28 (FIG. 2) and a lengthwise spaced door closing section 29 (FIG. 3).

The door opening section 28 is formed in two subsections including a first sub-section 31 for applying the opening force and causing the crank assembly and follower arm 23 to turn at least 90 or the full 180 and beyond in the event that the weight load and doors cause this condition. A second sub-section 32 is spaced lengthwise from the first sub-section a distance permitting the free rotation of the follower arm and the holding of the doors 19 in the open position, as more fully to be explained hereinafter.

For closing the doors after the cargo has been completely discharged through the open doors, the camming arrangement includes the closing section 29 comprising two sub-sections 33 and 34 of which the first sub-section 33 is operative to initially close the doors 90 and a second sub-section 34 for closing the doors the remaining 90 to the fully closed position. To exert a sufficient force to position the linkages in the over-center position against the stop there may be provided a force exerting camming sub-section 83 which is disposed at the end of the second sub-section 34.

More specifically, the opening sub-section 31 of the camming arrangement is constructed as shown in FIG. 2, including a camming block 37 supported on a suitable support structure 38 fixed between the rails of the n track T on which the hopper car having the crank assembly for opening the doors 19 is adapted to travel. The supporting structure 38 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 may comprise a pair of transversely extending beams 39 across which there is fixed a plurality of diagonally extending channels 41.

The. camming block 37 is arranged to be raised and lowered between the operative position for engagement with the follower arm 23 and an inoperative position below the follower arm 23 and to this end includes, as shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5, a pair of posts 42-42 which are supported for vertical sliding movement between brackets 4343 fixed to the channels 41, a guide block 44 extending between the brackets 43 and a buffer unit 46 opposing the block or bar 44.

Fixed between each of the pair of brackets 43-43 is a pin 47 which is received in an elongate slot 48 formed in the post 42 so as to permit raising and lowering of the post 42 and limited rocking movement. Fixed to the upper end of the posts 42 is the horizontally extending camming block 37 having a plate 49 providing a camming surface 51 on one side thereof. The camming surface 51 is engageable with one of the follower rollers on the follower arm 23 as the car moves along the tracks T to exert a force causing, as viewed in FIG. 1, the crank assembly 13 to be rotated to the door open position.

Abutting against the respective posts 42 on an extension of the plate 49 are bufier units 46 which are each suitably supported between the bracket members 43. The buffer units each comprises a head 52 to which there is fixed one end of a shaft 53 of which the other end slidably extends through an opening 54 formed in a rear plate 56. Fixed to the periphery of the rear plate 56 is a housing 57 which slidably receives a guide sleeve 58 fixed to the periphery of the buffer head 52. Biasing the buffer head 52 into engagement with the post 42 and yieldably holding the latter in engagement with the cross bar 44 is a spring 59 disposed between the inner face of the head 52 and the rear plate 56. The bufier units 46 serve to absorb the shock applied by the cam follower arm 34 in the event that the crank mechanism 13 swings beyond the 180 position, upon opening of the doors 19 and strikes a buffer plate 55 fixed to the rear of the block 37.

In the event that the follower arm 23 has not completely moved to the open position thereof, there is provided the door opening second sub-section 32 which also includes a camming block 61 including a plate 62 providing a camming face 63a. The block 61, however, is inclined so as to engage the opposite end of the follower arm from the end engaged by the camming block 37 to rotate the follower arm 23 to the fully opened 180 position, if necessary. The camming block 61 may be supported on posts 42-42 which are vertically slidable between brackets 4343, and opposing guide bars 44 and 64. It is to be noted that the guide bar 64 is used in place of the buffer unit 46 as in the guiding of the camming block 37. The posts 42--42 include a pin and slot arrangement similar to that described in connection with the sub-section 31.

When the follower arm 23 has been fully rotated to its 180 position, there is provided a camming block 66 having a camming face 65 which is positioned contiguous to the camming block 61 and serves to retain the doors 19 open until the cargo, which may be coal or the like, is completely discharged through the hopper doors 19. As shown, the camming block 66 extends substantially parallel to the tracks and is engageable with an end of the follower arm 23 to prevent rotation there. The camming block 66 may be supported similarly to the blocks 37 on posts 42-42 which are received in guides formed by brackets 4343, bars 40, 40 and buffer units 46. The buffer units 46 permit limited rocking movement of the camming block 66 about the pivot pin 47 ridable in the slot 48 as in sub-section 31 as the railway car 12 traverses the track.

Spaced lengthwise from the opening section 28 of the camming arrangement is the closing section 29 which is disposed laterally opposite to the former. The closing section 29 includes a first closing sub-section 33 which engages an end on the follower arm so as to initiate rotation thereof in the opposite direction from that occurring during opening of the doors and a second closing sub-section 34 for positively closing the doors 15. The first closing subsection 33 includes a camming block 72 which is supported on three posts 42, as similarly shown in the first cam section 28. The posts 42 are each mounted for movement between an elevated and lowered position in the guiding structure provided by brackets 4343 and braces 44 and fixed to the track bed similarly to the manner described in connection with the opening camming block 61. The camming block 72 includes a camming plate 73 having a diagonally extending camming face 74 and a camming face 76 substantially parallel to the tracks T. When one end of the follower arm 23 is engaged with the parallel camming face 76, the follower arm is rotated to to partially close the doors and is further rotated therebeyond upon engagement of the opposite end of the arm with the second spaced sub-section 34.

The second closing sub-section 34 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 includes a camming block 77 having a camming plate 78 which engages the opposite end of the follower arm providing an inclined camming face 79 and a camming face 81 parallel to the track T and facing the opposite direction from the parallel camming face 76 of the first closing sub-section 33. Camming block 77 is located so that as the car moves along the trackway with one end of the follower arm 23 always engaged with the first closing sub-section 33 or the second sub-section 34 so as to provide continuous turning movement of the follower arm 23.

Adjacent the end of the parallel face 81 the cam plate 78 is bent outwardly to provide a transitional face 82 leading to a camming structure 83 which serves to return the crank assembly to the overcenter position relative to the linkages and assures the position closing of the doors.

The force applying camming structure 83 includes a camming lever 84 to which there is fixed a camming plate 86 having an inclined camming face 87 merging with the transitional face 82. Extending from the inclined face 87 is an outwardly projecting camming face transversely spaced and parallelto the camming face 81.

At one end the camming lever 84 is pivotally connected to a support block 89 which is mounted for vertical sliding movement between side brackets v99-99 and end brackets 101. The side brackets 9999 and end brackets 101101 are suitably fastened to the track mounted support structure or channels 41, 41. At the other end of the lever 84 there is connected one end of a guide rod 102 of, which the other endthereof is slidably supported in a bracket and spring retainer 100 pivotally fixed .to the block 89. The rod 102 is slidably supported intermediate the ends thereof in a bracket 105 also fixed to the block 89. The opening in bracket 105 receivingrod 102 also permits slight movement toward and, away from block 89. Disposed about the rod 102 and abuttting at one endthe bracket 105 is spring retainer 103a and at the other end by spring retainer 100.and about the rod 102 isa compression spring 103 between seats 103a and .100. The spring 103 is selected so as to maintaina predetermined force on the endof the follower arm 23 in engagement with the camming faces 87 and 88 and to yield under conditions which would cause failure to the car mounted door operating mechanism. It is to be understood that other arrangements such as ahydraulic force applying means yielding at apredetermined force may be used to achieve the function of the spring 103.

As heretofore described, the camming blocks 37, 61, 66 72 and 77 and lever 84 of the camming arrangement or assembly are each mounted for vertical movement between a lowered inoperative position and a raised operative position forengagement with the follower arm 23. To actuate these blocks and block 89 between the positions there may be .provided a hydraulic system which includes a plurality of hydraulic system which includes a plurality of hydraulic cylinder units 110 controlled from a remotely located panel board control. A typical installation of the hydrauliccylinder units 110 to the camming blocksis shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 wherein a piston rod 111 of the hydraulic cylinder unit 110 is pivotally connected at one end to brackets 112112 on the underside of thecamming block 37 and a hydraulic cylinder 114 ispivotally connected to the supporting structure. The hydraulic fluid for actuating the sameto the operative and inoperative positions is supplied by a suitable hydraulic system which may be energized, from a control panel or the like. Similar hydraulic cylinder units are used where necessary to properly support the camming blocks. Upon actuation of the hydraulic units 110 to the raised position, the posts 42-42 supporting the camming blocks slide upwardly relative to the pin 47 in the slots 48 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6. In the loweredposition the posts 42 are depressed below the track level and the cam follower arm 23. a

When the track mounted camming arrangement 10 is located in an unloading area including a plurality of storage pits over which the tracks T pass and the railway car or cars 12 containing a cargo of coal or the like approach the pits, the opening door section 28 and the closing door section 29 of the camming arrangement are in the inoperative position. In connection with the storage pits, it should be mentioned that each of these may be provided with a door opening section 28 of which one may be selectively actuated to an operative position and the remainder in an inoperative position. However, only a single door closing section at the end of the storage area is required.

Accordingly, as .the railway car containing the cargo approaches the door opening section 28 located over the pit into which the cargo is tobe discharged, the section 28 is elevated to an operative position andthe remaining door opening sections are retained in an inoperative position. At the same time the door closing section 29 also may be elevated to an operative position. Such elevation of the door opening section 28 and the door closing section 29 is accomplished by energizing the hydraulic cylinder units to raise the camming blocks 37, 61, 66, 72, 77 and guide block 83 to an operative position. a

When the railway car moves over the door opening carrying section 31, the follower roller 26 initially engages the camming face 51 on the camming block so that the force exerted thereon as the car moves is operative to turn the crank assembly 13 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 7 from the overcenter position away from thestop 27. Thereafter, the weight of the cargo on the doors 19 and the weight of the doors 19 may be such that the crank assembly is rotated greater than so that the follower roller 24-impacts against the buffer plate 55 on the camming block 37. Such impact is relieved by the buffer units 46.

Should the crank mechanism 13 not be completely rotated as the car moves along the tracks T, the follower roller 24 engages the camming surface 64 to complete therotation to the fully door open position. During further-movement the follower roller 24 engages the camming surface 65 to retain the doors 19 in the open position.

When the cargo is completely discharged and the car 12 moves to the door closing section 29, the cam roller 26 engages the camming faces 74 and 76 to rotate the follower arm 23 greater than 90 as shown in FIG. 1. The follower arm 23 is continuously rotated by way of the follower roller 24 contacting the camming surface 77 and thereafter camming surface 87 to be 180 position.

When the follower roller 24 engages the force applying camming surface 87, the follower arm 23 and accordingly, the crank mechanism 13 is forced into the overcenter position to positively close the doors passing over surface 88 and exerting force against spring 103 to moving lever 84 inwardly to allow follower arm roller 24 to clear end sub-section 83 of cam section 29.

I claim:

1. A camming arrangement for actuating a door operating mechanism of a railway vehicle during travel of said railway vehicle along a track and wherein said door operating mechanism includes a generally horizontally extending follower arm supported intermediate the ends thereof for rotation about a .vertical axis and disposed substantially transversely to the track when said vehicle doors are in the closed and open positions, said camming arrangement comprising a plurality of camming block means mounted on the track bed, said block means each having a camming surface being generally in a vertical plane and engageable with an end of said follower arm, said block means being arranged into a first camming section engageable with said transversely extending follower arm to cause the latter to be rotated whereby said door operating mechanism is actuated to open said doors, and a second camming section located on said track bed spaced lengthwise and transversely from said first camming section and engageable with said one end of said follower arm to rotate the latter in the opposite direction to cause said door operating mechanism to be actuated to close said doors.

2. A camming arrangement for actuating a door operating mechanism of a railway vehicle during travel of said railway vehicle along a track and wherein said door operating mechanism includes a horizontal follower arm supported intermediate the ends thereof for rotation about a vertical axis and disposed substantially transversely to the track when said vehicle doors are in the closed and open positions, said camming arrangement comprising a plurality of camming block means mounted on the track bed, said blocks each having a vertically disposed camming surface engageable with an end of said follower arm, said blocks being arranged into a first camming section engageable with said transversely extending follower arm to cause the latter to be rotated whereby said d-oor operating mechanism is actuated to open said doors, and a second camming section located on said track bed 3 spaced lengthwise and transversely from said first camming section and engageable with said one end of said follower arm to rotate the latter in the opposite direction to cause said door operating mechanism to be actuated to close said doors, said first camming section comp ises one of said plurality of camming block means having a vertical camming face disposed in the path of movement of one end of said follower arm as said car moves along said track, buffer plate means on the opposite side of said one camming face and engageable with the other end of said follower arm when the latter turns in excess of approximately 180, buffer means engaging said block means on said side having Said vertical camming face, and means mounting said block means for movement toward said buffer means so that when said other end of said follower arm engages said plate means said buffer means absorbs a portion of the impact energy.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said first camming section includes a first camming block engageable with one end of said follower arm for initiating the opening of said vehicle door operating means, and a second camming block spaced lengthwise from said first camming block and having a camming surface engageable with the other end of said follower arm for retaining said vehicle doors in an open position.

4. A camming arrangement for actuating a door operating mechanism of a railway vehicle during travel of said railway vehicle along a track and wherein said door operating mechanism includes a horizontal follower arm supported intermediate the ends thereof for rotation about a vertical axis and disposed substantially transversely to the track when said vehicle doors are in the closed and open positions, said camming arrangement comprising a plurality of camming block means mounted on the track bed, said blocks each having a vertically disposed camming surface engageable with an end of said follower arm, said blocks being arranged into a first carnming section engageable with said transversely extending follower arm to cause the latter to be rotated whereby said door operating mechanism is actuated to open said doors, and a second camming section located on said track bed spaced lengthwise and transversely from said first camming section and engageable with said one end of said follower arm to rotate the latter in the opposite direction to cause said door operating mechanism to be actuated to close said doors, wherein said first camming section includes a first camming block engageable with one end of said follower arm for initiating the opening of said vehicle door operating means, and a second camming block spaced lengthwise from said first camming block and having a camming surface engageable with the other end of said follower arm for retaining said vehicle doors in an open position, wherein said first camming block is mounted for limited transverse movement away from the camming face engaging said other end of said follower arm, and buffer means limiting said transverse movement.

5. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said second camming section includes a first sub-section engageable with one end of said follower arm to rotate the latter about 90 and a second sub-section spaced lengthwise from said first sub-section to rotate said follower arm about a further 90.

6. A camming arrangement for actuating a door operating mechanism of a railway vehicle during travel of said railway vehicle along a track and wherein said door operating mechanism includes a horizontal follower arm supported intermediate the ends thereof for rotation about a vertical axis and disposed substantially transversely to the track when said vehicle doors are in the closed and open positions, said camming arrangement comprising a plurality of camming block means mounted on the track bed, said blocks each having a vertically disposed camming surface engageable with an end of said follower arm, said blocks being arranged into a first camming section engageable with said transversely extending follower arm to cause the latter to be rotated whereby said door operating mechanism is actuated to open said doors, and a second camming section located on said track bed spaced lengthwise and transversely from said first camming section and engageable with said one end of said follower arm to rotate the latter in the opposite direction to cause said door operating mechanism to be actuated to close said doors, said second camming section includes a first sub-section engageable with one end of said follower arm to rotate the latter about and a second sub-section spaced lengthwise from said first sub-section to rotate said follower arm about a further 90, said second subsection includes at the termination thereof a terminal camming block having a generally vertical camming surface parallel to said track, and biasing means providing a predetermined force on said terminal camming block so as to assure said positive closing of said doors.

7. An arrangement for opening and closing lading discharge doors on a railway vehicle as said railway vehicle traverses the trackway, said arrangement including door operating shaft means vertically supported on said railway vehicle for rotary movement about its oWn axis, driven means connected to said shaft and driven thereby during rotation thereof to open and close the lading discharge doors, a cam follower fixed to said door operating shaft and disposed in a horizontal plane, and camming means mounted on said trackway and including cam surface means disposed in a generally vertical plane and engageaole with said cam follower to angularly displace the latter as said railway vehicle traverses said trackway thereby to rotate said shaft about the vertical axis thereof and operate said driven means, said camming means. including a door opening section adjacent one of the tracks of said trackway and a door closing section spaced lengthwise from said door opening section and adjacent the other of said tracks, said door closing section including a transversely spaced camming portion adjacent the termination thereof for applying an additional turning force on said follower arm to positively close said doors,.said transversely spaced camming portion being mounted for yielding upon the application of a predetermined force thereon.

8. The invention according to claim 1, and said transversely extending follower arm being rotated substantially whereby said door operating mechanism is actuated to open said doors.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,266,630 5/1918 Ross et a1. 214-63 3,314,558 4/1967 Dorey 2l463 ROBERT G. SHERIDAN, Primary Examiner 

